I THINK I KNOW WAT YOU MEAN.
YOU TALK ABOUT PINCH HARMONIC RIGHT???
JUST PLAY THE STRING AS USUAL BUT AT THE EXACT SAME TIME
TRY TO TOUCH IT (VERY VERY SLIGHTLY) WITH THE SIDE OF YOU THUMB AND REMOVE YOUR THUMB AT THE EXACT MOMENT YOU TOUCHED IT TO LET IT SOUND OR ELSE YOU'LL MUFFLED YOUR STRING AND YOU WONT DO IT RIGHT. ITS VERY HARD TO EXPLAIN
LIKE THIS BUT KEEP TRYING AND MAYBE IN 4 OR 5 YEARS YOU'LL GET IT.... SERIOUSLY ITS NOT THAT HARD.

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2002-01-27, 14:46

atifman

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yeah, DELETE79 is right
move your thumb closer to the edge of the pick, angle it sideways a little bit, and pick the string trying to pick it both with your thumb and pick at the same time. it should work.
the place where you do it is important too (like where you have to pick between the fretboard and pickups). if you don't pick at the right place, it might not sound as good. try this: fret with your l.hand on the 3rd string (G) on the 12th fret and pick with right hand the point on the string where the fretboard ends. hope you understand.

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2002-01-29, 05:39

Metal Phreak

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Quote:

Originally posted by Atif
the place where you do it is important too (like where you have to pick between the fretboard and pickups). if you don't pick at the right place, it might not sound as good.

Congragualtions Atif, of all the explanations I've read on squels they always neglect to mention this. Well done fellow. Just remeber that you have to have distortion for it to work too.
I think the easiest way to find the place to pick is too play an open string and find the harmonic with your left hand, then try to replicate that sound with just yer picking hand. Of course the place varies with what fret you play and what pitch you want. I also think it's easier to begin on the thicker strings, you won't get a high pitched squel but you can definitely get a harmonic ring.

Well, i've only recently become used to playing Pinch Harmonics. When i did start getting them, it happened only on teh lighter strings, like the first 3. ANything thicker than my G string (hehe, sooo tempting) and i just sounded muffled. So i'd say start on the lighter strings, and once you get those, move on to thicker strings, and further down the fretboard, by that i mean getting closer and closer to the first few frets.......soon you'll be able to get them anywhere, even open strings. They're a great addition to heavy riffs......adds a creepy effect to them!

But like atif said, the position where you pick the string varies a lot. I find the closer i go to the neck, the less of a good sound i get. I'd say teh best spot (on my guitar at least, probably varies from one to another) is where the middle pickup would be or is. I've got one, and it's pretty much just on the edge of the middle pickup, on the side of the neck pickup too. Whatever, just try it out man....it'll take a lot of time though. Took a few months for me at least.

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2002-03-06, 02:47

Wild Child

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They're definitely an advanced technique, but with a bit of patience, you'll get them.

First thing: The correct way to play them is to brush the string with the flesshy part of your thumb. But when I learned them, I was able to devise a much simpler way to play them.

Hold the pick between your thumb and forefinger, as usual. Fret a string, anystring (easier to produce pinch harmonics on lower strings). Once you have the string fretted, and the pick secure, go about plucking the string as you normally would, with ONE difference - very lightly place your middle finger of your pick hand just in front of the the tip of the pic (About an inch or so). Your middle finger may be touching your thumb; that's just fine. When you pluck the string, with your middle finger lightly touching it, a high pitched "squeel" is produced.

That's the easiest way to produce the pinch harmonics. It's critical to understand something else: The string just can't be "pinched" (or brushed) just anywhere. For each fret produces different pinch harmonics at different places.

For example, if I choose the 5th fret on the d string (or any string, for that matter), and I brush my middle finger directly in the middle of the bridge and the end of the neck, a pinch harmonic is produced. However, if I keep my pick hand in that same poisition (exactly between the end of the neck, and the bridge), then slide up to the 13th fret, no harmonic is produced.

So in other words, a different fret position calls for a different position as to where you pluck and brush/pinch the string.

The example above is suited to my guitar, and isn't gauranteed to apply to another guitar. Basically, you just have to get to know where pinch harmonics can be produced between the bridge, end of neck, based upon where you are fretting. Basically, the higher you move on the frets (i.e. 5th fret to 6th fret to 11th fret, etc), the closer you must move your pick/middle finnger to the bridge, and vise-versa.

Also, make sure that you have LOTS of distortion, as this is necessary for the pinch harmonics to ring clear.

And of course, it'll take time to master. Once perfected, you can start using the side of your thumb, as opposed to your middle finger. But while learning, I'd say use your middle finger, without question. And if you feel really comforatable with it - great!! It's not necessary to use your thumb eventually.

I know it's long, but it's a complicated technique, hehehe.

It's worth all the frustration, though, as it makes for one of the coolest effects in all of guitar.

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2002-03-06, 02:59

holding fears

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Wait, just one part I don't understand;
Where does my middle finger go? Sorry if you explained it in detail, but I don't get it, does it go behind my thumb so after i pick it my middle finger brushes the string? And when I pick the string, the brush needs to be RIGHT after it?

If you can find a pic or something of someone holding the pick and having the middle finger position that would be helpful, but if you're gonna need to search for the pic, don't bother, you've wasted enough time explaining all that. Thanks!

Your method with the middle finger is very confusing. You say "hold it about an inch from the tip of the pick" but then say "almost touching your thumb" which indicates you have to somehow put your finger underneath, and behind your thumb.........i don't see any other way of touching your thumb with your middle finger, while your index and pick are in the way.

My suggestion to you is just practice with the thumb. It'll take a while before you find out the right way for yourself to hold the pick, but just keep at it until you do. I've become so used to it now that i don't have to move my thumb down the pick like i did in the beginning.....i just think it's simpler and easier to play with my thumb that low on the pic. When it comes time to pinch harmonic, i just "squeeze" or press my thumb a little harder against the pic, and i force it down a little, just so a sliver of flesh appears on the bottom of the pic. That's what i do and it works fine.

Another difference is i find pinch harmonics are easier to do on higher strings......but then again, we most likely have different sized strings. The thicker the string, the harder PH are to do. But thin ass .009 strings for you high E are hard to do too, because you tend to put too much "flesh" into the PH, therefore almost muting the string altogether. The best strings to practice PH on are the 3rd and 4th strings....or, in standard tunning, they would be G and D.

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(1) Pick the note as usual.
(2) Let your thumb hit the string (almost like a mute.)
(3) Instead of muting the string all the way, Barley mute it at all.
(4)When that occurs a "pinched harmonic" will be produced.

So, in other words you stop the string from vibrating freely. When it vibrates within a small space it produces a squeal.

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2002-03-06, 16:20

holding fears

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Thanks alot guy, I'll give it a shot later today.

2002-03-06, 18:50

Wild Child

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Rest your pick on the string, just like you're going to pluck it. Then, lightly put the tip of your middle finger (not the VERY tip, but the fleshier part) about 1 inch in front of (i.e. towards the neck) the tip of the pick. Pluck the string down, and brush the string in an "upward" direction with your middle finger, at the exact same time. Don't leave your finger there; just brush it with your finger, and remove it as soon as you pluck the string with the pick. I just find that's the easiest way to do it. And after playing pinch harmonics for about 4 years or so, I still find that method the eaiest, and it gives you the best effect.

Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Again, if you wanna use the thumb method, go ahead. But you've gotta be really, really patient.

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Originally posted by holding fears Thanks alot guy, I'll give it a shot later today.

Also it's easier to do ph's with the back corner of the pick. Let the pick slip off the string, press down just enough that the string "snaps" back and hits your thumb. I learned this from a friend that had been playing for over 14 years. I got the hang of it after about 3 tries and only 2 months playing. Trust me, this way is best.

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2002-03-13, 00:04

Soul Conspiracy

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I'm with using the middle finger for making the artificial harmanics, I haven't tried the thumb for a while but it just seems like you have total control with the finger and if you really want the harmonic to work you can put your soul into the action and pull it off. And hey what is your middle finger up to anyway, might as well use it as best you can, the thumb should be worried about whether it's holding the pick right.

2002-03-17, 09:30

Mr 666

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I'm not sure if this is the same thing....i get artificial harmonics by using my palm. I lighty touch pretty much all the strings with my palm exactly as if i were palm muting but lighter and further towards the fretboard (even onto the fretboard for more harmonics). It helps if you quickly and smoothly take your palm off the plucked string a split second after you hit it. It WILL work if your palm stays lightly touching the strings, if u find the right place. You won't have to alter your pick style either.
If this is something different (i.e. not a pinch harmonic), please tell me instead of grilling me.

2002-03-31, 18:25

atifman

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there......

ok i merged all the pinch/artifical harmonic topics into one.......so don't start a new thread talking about pinch harmonics!
so if you don't know how to do an artificial harmonic after reading this thread, well.......i don't what to tell ya.

2002-04-02, 21:12

CFH PanterA CFH

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Heres a good song to try
PanterA - Cemetery gates, of all the tabs, the harmonics are on the lower strings, THIS IS WRONG!
u geta higher squeal if u play it this way, some notes, higher strings....= better squeal.

When you're playing a normal harmonic, the string doesnt vibrate as much as it does normally. thats why you dont push the string all the wasy down.

So if you're playing a pinch harmonic, the pick plays the note as normal, but then almost immediatly after, the thumb mutes it slighly so that only the harmonic sounds comes out. thats why the thumb is close to the edge of the pick.

I'm starting to practice my upstroke pinch harmonic. It's pretty tough.....but i've managed to pull it off quite a few times. I don't know when this would come in handy.....unless i want to write a tremolo pinch harmonic riff.....but that would be too weird.

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Through me among the people lost for ay
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2002-07-18, 02:08

atifman

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memnoch, i find it's easier to do upstroke pinch harmonics with the pick slightly perpendicular to the string, that's when you do the "tremolo pinch picking". and it doesn't sound weird, the riff doesn't have to be as fast as a tremelo picking, but it could be easier to do stuff like the chorus of "Living Through Me (hell's wrath)" by Pantera. just as fast as that riff or faster, is where you could use alternate pinch picking.

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2002-07-18, 02:24

warnerve92

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An upstroke pinch harmonic? Does this mean that you hit the harmonic with the index finger instead of yor thumb?

Yeah.....the way i do my upstroke pinch harmonics is with my middle finger though.

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Through me you pass into the city of woe
Through me you pass into eternal pain
Through me among the people lost for ay
Justice the founder of my fabric moved
To rear me was the task of power divine
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure
All hope abandon, ye who enter here

Against the concert of the Immortals he cannot stand alone.

2002-07-18, 18:38

Diztorted

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"unless i want to write a tremolo pinch harmonic riff.....but that would be too weird."
LoL, yeah that would be odd. I think you would be better off doing that with a natural harmonic...
Anyway, for learning artifcial harmonics, or 'pinch squeals' as Dimebag refers to 'em, it's easiest just to have someone show you. Maybe you could go to Guitar Center, and when you see some badass wailing on an overpriced axe, just ask him for advice.

i don't do those with my thumb..if i think i think i know what you're talking about lol... like the big harmonic high pitched sqeal type thingy..anyways i just put my regular playing fingers, whatever one is most convienient(sp) and usually it depends on how much gain i have on what frets it works, at high gain it works in a shit load of frets, i usually do em on the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 10th, some of these don't work on every string. but the 3rd fret usually works on the the 4th, 5th and 6th string, anyways so i take my finger lightly put it on the string, like right next to the fret, like if you were hitting a perfectly clean note, anyways if you pick it like this you'll get a weird high pitched sound, it's like a cling/feedback, anyways when you push down on the string once you pick it, it does the squeal, now if this is not the correct way to do these, someone tell me what is. this way i just stumbled onto, a long time ago about my first year in playing guitar and done em that way ever since.

Those are "Natural Harmonics." I was refering to "Pinched Harmonics." Anyway, you're right about you techniqe. If you want to make your natural harmonics sound louder and clearer, use your whammy bar and give it a fast flutter. It will make the note sound much fuller. I just hope you have a locking tremolo.

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2002-09-24, 22:52

Cthulhu0610

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then what's the sound difference between natural harmonics and pinched harmonics?

Pinch Harmonics sound close to natural ones, but it's more of a squeal type sound. Also you can do a pinch harmonic on just about any fret on the guitar......natural harmonics only occur at certain places.

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Through me you pass into the city of woe
Through me you pass into eternal pain
Through me among the people lost for ay
Justice the founder of my fabric moved
To rear me was the task of power divine
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure
All hope abandon, ye who enter here

ok, now my problem is that i cant do it at all the frets. only between 4th and 8th. when i get past 12th position, it just becomes impossible and sounds muted(its barely audible) like a muted screech. and also, is the original note supposed to sound aswell?

Even after reading through this whole thread, it will most likely take you loads of practice before getting it right.

I practiced about 2-3 months before even getting a sound out of my pinch harmonics. Took maybe another month until i could pull them off on any string.

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Through me you pass into the city of woe
Through me you pass into eternal pain
Through me among the people lost for ay
Justice the founder of my fabric moved
To rear me was the task of power divine
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure
All hope abandon, ye who enter here

Against the concert of the Immortals he cannot stand alone.

2002-10-03, 00:49

atifman

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you're doing it in the wrong place weijia. when you move your left hand up the fret, you're supposed to move up the spot where you pick , too. all harmonics are basically the same distance apart from eachother. artificial harmonics are like recreated natural harmonics, when you think about. like try this, do a natural harmonic on the 12th fret. now do a artificial harmonic with the left hand fingering the 1st fret and the right hand picking where the 13th fret is on the bridge. it should sound similar to the natural harmonic you played, only it's transposed half a step.

I basically pick all my artificial harmonics within my "pickup" range.......i've never had to go over the fretboard.

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Through me you pass into the city of woe
Through me you pass into eternal pain
Through me among the people lost for ay
Justice the founder of my fabric moved
To rear me was the task of power divine
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure
All hope abandon, ye who enter here

Here's your problem: You must be playing out of both pickups at once. Play only out of your bridge pickup. You'll get the sound you're looking for...

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2002-11-04, 15:08

G_urr_A

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I think there's an important aspect of this that you are missing.
A natural harmonic is performed by forcing the string to vibrate with half it wavelength, or some other integer split. Common "harmonic places" are 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th.
If you fret a string on the (n)th fret, then you can place the "harmonic-finger" on the (n+12)th (or n+5 or n+7 or n+9) fret, to get a proper harmonic. Then there's also the option of forcing a harmonic, ie strumming so hard that you get some sound even though you're not placing your "harmonic finger" on a good spot. This is of course easier with lots of dist and so on.
This also applies for artificial/pinch harmonics. To get a higher pitched squeal, find a 5th or 9th (or whatever) of the strings length (the part that is not stopped by fretting fingers).

I can admit that I learnt how to do artificial harmonics (and succeded in performing them on my acoustic guitar (don't have an electric guitar)) from this thread, but the theoritics about harmonics in general is stuff I learnt ages ago (like 5 years).

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2002-11-04, 21:59

CtHuLhU DaWn

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Quote:

Originally posted by INVERTED Here's your problem: You must be playing out of both pickups at once. Play only out of your bridge pickup. You'll get the sound you're looking for...

Basically...

As much distortion as your amp can give, A Treble sound (no mid or bass, unless its a large amp), and Only use Bridge, Thats my setup, and they sound awesome, Try that

Originally posted by G_urr_A I think there's an important aspect of this that you are missing.
A natural harmonic is performed by forcing the string to vibrate with half it wavelength, or some other integer split. Common "harmonic places" are 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th.
If you fret a string on the (n)th fret, then you can place the "harmonic-finger" on the (n+12)th (or n+5 or n+7 or n+9) fret, to get a proper harmonic. Then there's also the option of forcing a harmonic, ie strumming so hard that you get some sound even though you're not placing your "harmonic finger" on a good spot. This is of course easier with lots of dist and so on.
This also applies for artificial/pinch harmonics. To get a higher pitched squeal, find a 5th or 9th (or whatever) of the strings length (the part that is not stopped by fretting fingers).

I can admit that I learnt how to do artificial harmonics (and succeded in performing them on my acoustic guitar (don't have an electric guitar)) from this thread, but the theoritics about harmonics in general is stuff I learnt ages ago (like 5 years).

Yeah i've Pinched a Nylon string before, it sounds cool, its not loud, but it still works

I can't get the pinch harmonic part from "WHERE THE SLIME LIVE"
I try but doesn't sound exactly like it!!!
And DAMN I DONT HAVE A 7 STRING GUITAR!!

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2003-01-20, 18:49

DELETE79

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Quote:

Originally posted by Bones98 I can't get the pinch harmonic part from "WHERE THE SLIME LIVE"
I try but doesn't sound exactly like it!!!
And DAMN I DONT HAVE A 7 STRING GUITAR!!

try it at different place over the pick up. the sound change depending if you pick over the bridge or the neck pick up

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2003-01-27, 16:55

vileangelofdeth

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Quote:

I can't get the pinch harmonic part from "WHERE THE SLIME LIVE"
I try but doesn't sound exactly like it!!!
And DAMN I DONT HAVE A 7 STRING GUITAR

Trey Azagthoth uses huge bends and crazy vibrato with his harmonics to make them sound that sick. He also does some really crazy techniques with the floyd rose tremolo.

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2003-01-27, 16:59

Freezer666

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when practicing songs that have A.H.'s in them, i sometimes fail and end up with a strange wah-ish half-harmonic sound...which sounds really nice(hehe), anyone know what those are called? its when your finger doesnt touch the string enough and it makes it kinda vibrate

Through me you pass into the city of woe
Through me you pass into eternal pain
Through me among the people lost for ay
Justice the founder of my fabric moved
To rear me was the task of power divine
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure
All hope abandon, ye who enter here

try using this technique for that squeaky sound...if you hold the pick in b/w ur thumb & middle finger, then use your index finger to touch the string while picking at the same time...then use a vibrato to pull the harmonic off more effectively......this one is a bit more dificult than the other technique, but far more effective once you master it

memnoch: hrm, doesnt sound like one...
ps: this is mostly when bending at the same time

2003-02-09, 23:48

Bones98

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I can't do that A.H. part in "Secret Face" from Death.....
Its the riff after the flanger effect.....Whats A.H.?
Is it pinch harmonics?
Can anyone show me some links to these harmonic techniques?
I tried cyberfret, but are there any other sites....
I tried guitar.com but evertime I sign up, I don't get my password!!!.........
PLease help with these harmonic techniques....
Thanks in advance!

hey man......a.h is artificial harmonic...same as pinch...i dont think any site can help you with this...you just need to know how to do it & rest will come as you practise...so just go through any site or even this thread to get a basic idea & practise hard...cheers

there hard at first but once you get them down there pretty easy. if im lucky i can get a whole string of pinch harmonics going on all the strings on any fret below like 7 or something. the pinch harmonics on the 6th's string is the hardest to do but sounds the weirdest.

A-B-C-D L-S-D. Gummy bears are coming for me. One is red and one is blue. One is in my fucking shoe. A-B-C-D L-S-D. Next time wont you trip with me?

2003-03-02, 16:41

ilovebukkake

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Yeah, it took me quite some time to get to grips with em, but once you get the technique down, it gets way easier. Now my hands kinda remember where to hit the string to get the harmonic depending on where my hands are on the neck :S It's pretty cool.

Memnoch: Thanks for the Idea!! I never really thought of doing them upstroke before - a tremolo picked pinched harmonic riff would sound fucking evil! Im gonna get practicing!

2003-03-02, 16:50

ilovebukkake

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Quote:

Originally posted by corroded_soul hey man......a.h is artificial harmonic...same as pinch...i dont think any site can help you with this...you just need to know how to do it & rest will come as you practise...so just go through any site or even this thread to get a basic idea & practise hard...cheers

Artificial Harmonics are actually where you fret a note eg. fret 12, then place a finger lightly on the string above it at another specified fret eg. 24 say, then pluck the note with the pick. I learned that from total guitar magazine

thats funny, i thought for a second there you worked for total guitar magazine... bastard

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2003-03-03, 11:05

ilovebukkake

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hehehe - no, in the back of total guitar magazine it has a full guide to all the different notations for different techniques on guitar, and it shows all 5 types of harmonics and how to do em - not bad for £3

2003-03-10, 21:37

MeTalManiac555

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Hey dude, thanks alot for the help on the pinch harmonics, because I found an easier way since I read this. Hail!!!

What do you mean by closed? Like the pedal all the way down or up, because I don't know anything about wah pedals and I just got the Morley Bad Horsie 2 one and going to start learning to use it. Oh yeah sorry this si off topic, but what's the difference with regular wah and contour because it says that mine has both. I don't hear much of a difference either.

Personally i play pinch harmonics with my LITTLE finger because of the speed of the stuff I play, I hold the pick between my thumb and my first two fingers (otherwise I get sweaty and drop them at gigs)

2003-04-18, 00:51

Atheist

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I personally wouldnt recommend anyone trying pinch harmonics with any other finger besides their thumb - using thumb seems to allow for much better transition from normal picking to a pinch harmonic. The thumb should be close to the picking point of the pick so a slight twist of the wrist will allow the thumb surface to brush the string ever so slightly. I have noticed that heavier strings require a more aggressive (for lack of a better term) brush against the strings compared to the higher strings which require a very delicate touch. Also, each seperate note on each string requires different pressure than the lower or higher notes next to it. This isnt really an issue as you sort of develop a "finger memory." Pickups with more output and distortion levels are a big help. With my Duncan Invader pickup and metalzone pedal I can tremelo pick while hitting a pinch harmonic on each pick - sounds crazy.

These are my personal observations - pretty much just stating what has been said before, hah. If I can I will try to post some images of how I hold my pick and the whole wrist twist in action (not talking about masturbating, haha)

2003-05-26, 06:00

Skygg

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I'm really surprised : everybody seems to consider ph/ah as an advanced tech... but it took me less than ten minutes of practice to do it, so when some of you say it's 3 or 4 years to learn it........ .........even if it's harder than tapping or such things...

2003-05-26, 13:40

PantericA

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Location: Manitoba Canada

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tapping is fucking easy compared to pinch harmonics. tapping doesn't really take any technique at all. you tap the fucking fretboard and get a sound. pinch harmonics are pretty advanced you fuckhead. they actually require you to have some sort of skill. fuck man, i could give my guitar to my 5 year old niece and SHE could fuckin tap on it. i don't think there is any chance in hell that she could pull out a pinch harmonic.

2003-05-28, 05:24

Skygg

New Blood

Join Date: May 2003

Posts: 3

I do not pretend that tapping is an advanced tech... i just say pinch hamornics seemed really easy to me and i don't think that a technique you can learn in ten minutes is an advanced one...

2003-05-31, 07:00

Daniel_Kuchan

New Blood

Join Date: May 2003

Location: East Lancing

Posts: 4

Hey, i thought pinch harmonics would be hard. then i practiced it. I caught on real easy with practice. what ended up working for me was connecting the string wtih the corner of my thunb and the pick. Holding the pick you will see a V or a corner that your thumb and the pick makes. if you put the string in this corner, you can hold in there even, and then just push off and you shold get your artificial harmonic. It is easier done than said i believe. just try this untill you get a feel for it. Eventually, you will be able to do this up and down. you can then trem pick pinch harmonics like me. Id try to explain better but i have a women to deal with right now so maybe some other time.

2003-06-01, 04:07

Bones98

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Join Date: Nov 2002

Location: Corona, California

Posts: 1,824

pinch harmonics get hard when you are playing fast with notes blending
normally hit notes with A.H.-ed notes

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2003-06-01, 18:26

RottingSwill138

Senior Metalhead

Join Date: Jun 2003

Posts: 125

when i pinch i just do it i don't think about it that how u mess up when u think about it too much just do it u know?

2003-06-07, 20:38

x2xAtreyux2x

Senior Metalhead

Join Date: Jun 2003

Posts: 196

Pinch and Natural Harmonics

Natural Harmonics (suggested you are a righty): Take left hand and barely touch the string with your finger(s). Pick as normal and you should get a kind of "twangy" sound. Try this on the 3rd, 5th, and 12th frets for best results. (Example: Verse of "Ravenous" by Arch Enemy")

Pinch Harmonics (suggested you are a righty): These are more difficult than Natural Harmonics and will take time to learn. Push down on any note on the fret board with your left hand. Now, pick the string with your pick and a small piece of your thumb, which will again make a "twangy" sound. If you use too much thumb, the harmonic won't work. Once you get good with Pinch Harmonics, add a little Vibrato to it to get that sound used in common metal songs. (Example: Verse of "Thoughts Without Words" by Shadows Fall)

If there are any more questions, e-mail me.

2003-06-12, 01:32

ArkaneSoul88

Senior Metalhead

Join Date: May 2003

Location: Arizona

Posts: 160

Deep pinch harmonics

Hey guys ive been having a hard time doing pinch harmonics on deeper strings, mostly A, not many pinches are on E. Whats your approach to doing pinches on the A string? Mine never come out quite right, thanks guys.

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2003-06-12, 01:35

PantericA

Post-whore

Join Date: Jul 2002

Location: Manitoba Canada

Posts: 1,107

practice, practice, practice. that's all i can say. that, and try to hit the string with a bit more force with your thumb.

2003-06-12, 02:23

metal=life

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Join Date: Jul 2002

Location: pretty damn close to Cephalic Carnage.

Posts: 3,648

yeah and its harder to do it on old strings. You need new ones with a nice ring. Try placing your finger in different locations around the neck pickup too.

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2003-06-12, 14:04

!!RaGe!!

Senior Metalhead

Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: United Kingdom

Posts: 131

yeh u just gotta keep practicing but remember unless ur real good at emm then u wont b able to hit emm in every fret and all guitars are diffrent including with tunings. the easyiest ones on the A string wood b 2nd 3rd 5th 7th and 9th but keep on trying and trying. when i did my first ever one i was so excited lol, cos i just love the sound of it and no i cant stop doing emm hahaha

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2003-06-12, 14:36

metal=life

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Join Date: Jul 2002

Location: pretty damn close to Cephalic Carnage.

Posts: 3,648

Practice that lick in Spirit Crusher (Death). The chorus part has a pinch on the 5th fret on the A string.

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A-B-C-D L-S-D. Gummy bears are coming for me. One is red and one is blue. One is in my fucking shoe. A-B-C-D L-S-D. Next time wont you trip with me?

2003-06-23, 13:18

mind_cancer

New Blood

Join Date: Jun 2003

Posts: 3

if you wanna learn tap,pinch,whatever harmonics just practice them.just cause some dude told you how to doesnt mean your gonna be playing like reji wooten in 2 hours,and it depends on what you want from your harmonics,if your mixing them in with regular notes,then whatevers easier,pinch harmonics are good for some evil sounding shit.isn tthat what you want? listen to jazz fusion like the tribal tech and vital tech tones some of thats harmonics galore,

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2003-06-23, 13:29

mind_cancer

New Blood

Join Date: Jun 2003

Posts: 3

what? wasnt this about pinch harmonics? arent they exactly the same on every fret?your thinkin of natueral harmonics pinch/artificial fuckers are just fake harmonics, all you need to do is play the note and slightly touch the string with your fretting hand,hey ho you just did a harmonic and if you cant do that,just give up on harmonics and learn oasis songs,but why would you wanna use harmonics all the time? most people watching your band or whatever probably dont have a clue what it is,so if you do a couple they might think,hey what the fuck was that but if your being mr harmonic it kinda loses its thing,you know,next lesson tapping and thumping

agreed.. that dude pulls off pinches like nothing. i'm slowly getting there though, as like i pinch as much as i can.. in fact at this very moment, i feel like pinchin a monster loaf... go figure..

anyway, pinches, once you get them down can be pretty easy. the 6th string will give you problems at first.. my technique is to keep the fleshy part of my thumb on the string until the harmonic completely takes over the note sound.. it works like a charm every time.. i can squeal my strings insanely loud....

Originally posted by Atheist I personally wouldnt recommend anyone trying pinch harmonics with any other finger besides their thumb - using thumb seems to allow for much better transition from normal picking to a pinch harmonic. The thumb should be close to the picking point of the pick so a slight twist of the wrist will allow the thumb surface to brush the string ever so slightly. I have noticed that heavier strings require a more aggressive (for lack of a better term) brush against the strings compared to the higher strings which require a very delicate touch. Also, each seperate note on each string requires different pressure than the lower or higher notes next to it. This isnt really an issue as you sort of develop a "finger memory." Pickups with more output and distortion levels are a big help. With my Duncan Invader pickup and metalzone pedal I can tremelo pick while hitting a pinch harmonic on each pick - sounds crazy.

These are my personal observations - pretty much just stating what has been said before, hah. If I can I will try to post some images of how I hold my pick and the whole wrist twist in action (not talking about masturbating, haha)

i can get em when thats all im doing, but when i try to add it too the end of a riff (e.g. Metallica - No Remorse) i usually miss the string, but with all things practice is definately helping

its somewhat daunting that i just cant get it and others i know manage to pull it out of their ass somehow on the first atempt, but i spose that they have been playing for a number of years more than i have.

2003-09-21, 05:45

RUSSIANROULETTE

Supreme Metalhead

Join Date: Dec 2002

Location: The womb of Satan's neighbor...?

Posts: 716

I learned how to do artificial/pinch harmonics a while ago, took me like a week to learn. I don't use my thumb though, I'm a demon with my ring finger. Anyways, I have a question...

This might be a dumb question but as I've said before I'm retarded. OK, maybe this doesn't have a name but here it goes: What is it called when you pull down the trem bar (not all the way down so that it's touching the guitar but enough so that the strings flop) and pull a pinch harmonic on the open D string (or any other string, this is just the one I usually do) and slowly release pressure on the trem so you get a really long squeal much like the p.h. in the end of "Cemetary Gates"?

P.S. How would I tab that? I need to know to tab some Exhorder songs

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